


Mending Paws

by ptw30



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Black Paladin Kuron, Black Paladin Shiro (Voltron), Blue Paladin Lance (Voltron), Everyone lives as they should have, Gen, Kuron is Ryou (Voltron), cuz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 21:47:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21204593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ptw30/pseuds/ptw30
Summary: Set after Season 6, Lance, Shiro, and Kuron finally clear the air after the whole "Shiro is stuck in the astral plane and Kuron doesn't know what is happening to him" thing.





	Mending Paws

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JG](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=JG).

> Special thanks to JG for the birthday prompt, which was - Shiro + Lance : the aftermath of Operation Kuron
> 
> Also, "Kuron is Ryou" is an established tag, and I just love that. Thank you, fandom.

Shiro watched Lance approach the Black Lion, then walk back to Blue, before approaching yet again. He allowed the pattern three times before he let out a sigh and exited the Black Lion. When it appeared Lance had given up completely, he called out to the Blue Paladin. Lance’s back went ramrod straight, and he slowly turned toward Shiro with pale features and widened eyes. 

Shiro beckoned him over before putting a hand on the Black Lion’s paw and pushing himself up onto it. “It’s okay, Lance. I promise. I don’t bite.”

Lance’s laughter was high pitched, forced. “Ha! Good one, Shiro!”

“It’s really not.” He patted the paw next to him. “Come on. Sit.”

After a brief debate with himself, Lance surrendered with a sigh and took a seat next to Shiro. He remained tense and jittery, fingers twitching as he stayed uncharacteristically silent. When Shiro reached up to grip his shoulder, Lance flinched. His eyes glistened when they turned to Shiro, an apology deep within them. 

Shiro couldn’t stand it. “It wasn’t your fault, Lance.”

The tears fell then, aggressive and ugly, and Lance launched himself at Shiro, arms wrapping about Shiro’s torso in a crushing grip. Sobs wracked his being, shaking Shiro as well, and Shiro’s own tears stung the corner of his eyes. The apologies kept coming, thicker and more insistent, pleading for Shiro to forgive, but all Shiro could do was hold onto Lance and let him release all the emotions he’d been carrying since the Dalterion Belt. 

Hunk stumbled by, followed by Pidge and Allura, but Shiro motioned that he was alright. When Lance’s sobs finally calmed, Shiro lifted his hand from Lance’s back to ruffle his hair. 

“Lance, look at me,” he asked, voice gutted and trembling. It took a moment, but Lance eventually listened. Shiro cradled his cheek and neck with his hand. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“But I – I should have –”

“There’s no studying for metaphysical lions that are fueled by magic and souls. There’s no guidebook or cheat sheet to knowing that my soul was trapped in the Black Lion’s quintessence and someone had taken my place. Yeah, I was acting differently than I would have normally, but it’s just as much my fault as anyone else’s.”

“But-But-I should have asked. I-I knew. _He _told me that he wasn’t feeling well—”

Shiro laughed, rough but true. “And I’m sure you just knew that Haggar was behind Ryou’s sudden change in behavior, right? You knew that he was being attacking mentally and emotionally by the enemy and chose to do nothing.”

“No, but I said we’d figure out together. And I never followed up. I never—”

“Because I never reached out to you,” Shiro soothed, thumb wiping away Lance’s tears. “I was afraid of showing any weakness in front you and the team. I told you all that we needed to lean upon each other, but I didn’t take my own advice. When Zarkon was attacking the Black Lion, I didn’t ask for anyone’s help other than Black. I didn’t ask you or Keith or Allura for help. And I should have. Maybe if I have let you guys know me, then you would have realized that Ryou wasn’t…well, me.”

Lance still trembled, though his eyes weren’t as dark or as melancholy as they had been two minutes ago. “But I still should have—”

“That’s between you and Ryou, but I don’t think he’s holding it against you, either.”

“I’m not.” 

Shiro glanced over his shoulder to see Ryou leaning against the Black Lion’s opening, not unlike Shiro had himself. But when he came forward, his walk was more open, expression more serious than Shiro’s own. It was still a bit awkward and unnerving for Shiro to see his own face on someone else, but he’d had some time to get used to it when in the Black Lion’s quintessence. He also couldn’t deny the relief he’d felt that someone had helped the team while he was away, even if he’d wished Ryou had reached out to Keith before he’d left for the Blades. But Ryou didn’t have the relationship with Keith that Shiro did, though they were slowly forming their own bond. 

They all were healing and reaching out, connecting in ways they hadn’t previously. Shiro wasn’t sure what that would mean, but he was excited to find out. 

“Lance, I – I wish we had found out what was happening to me before Haggar took control,” Ryou said, coming close to knock Lance’s shoulder, “but I should have been more forceful, should have come to see you again.”

“And I should have asked.” Lance kept one hand on Shiro while reaching up to clasp Ryou’s. “I should have made sure you were okay.”

“We’ll all have regrets. That’s part of war, part of life, but we’re here. All of us. Let’s appreciate that, and in the future, we’ll make sure to be there for each other. All of us.”

“Okay.” The tears already had begun to dry upon Lance’s cheeks. “Okay.”

Shiro knew they would be. 


End file.
